Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Cleveland, Ohio – Junior Tess Apke (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) knocked a single into right field to bring home sophomore Kristen Gabelt (Ligonier, Pa. / Ligonier Valley) with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Robert Morris University softball team won its first two contests of the 2014 campaign Saturday at the CSU Dome Tournament at Krenzler Field.
 
RMU cruised to a 9-0 victory over Canisius in its opening contest Saturday before claiming a come-from-behind, 3-2, win in eight innings in the nightcap against Bowling Green.
 
Robert Morris got a pair of stellar pitching performances on the season's first day while five different Colonials notched at least three hits.
 
Junior Nicole Sleith (Smithton, Pa. / Yough) started the opener against the Golden Griffins and twirled a four-hit shutout to start the season on a strong note. She racked up 11 strikeouts against a lone walk while not allowing an extra-base hit. It was her 12th career shutout, moving her into sole possession of fourth place at RMU, and her 10th career outing with double-digit strikeouts.
 
Senior Geena Badolato (Mt. Lebanon, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon) continued the theme of strong pitching in the nightcap as she allowed a lone earned run while going all eight innings in a tight contest. She allowed five hits and a single walk while tallying eight strikeouts.
 
Junior Samantha Santillo (Ellwood City, Pa. / Lincoln) had a strong start to the season as she was 4-for-5 offensively with four RBI, including a pinch-hit RBI single with the Colonials down to their final strike against the Falcons. She tallied her fourth career three-hit game, 20th multi-hit game and third outing with at least three RBI.
 
Gabelt was 3-for-7 on the day with a home run, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. She notched her seventh career multi-hit game in the opener while adding her third-career long ball.
 
RMU jumped on top right away in its first game of 2014 and never looked back.
 
An error by Canisius with one out in the top of the first was followed by a double by sophomore Haileigh Stocks (Jamison, Pa. / Central Bucks South) to put two runners aboard. Gabelt would drive in the season's first run with a ground ball.
 
After Sleith retired the side in order in the home half, RMU added to its lead in the second inning. Apke started the frame by drilling a double to center. Santillo followed with a single, and then freshman Stacey Capp (McKees Rocks, Pa. / Montour) knocked a hard single into left in her first collegiate plate appearance to load the bases. A wild pitch and a couple of miscues by the Golden Griffins brought home each of the three base runners.
 
Sleith worked around a two-out single in the second frame, and Gabelt blasted RMU's first homer of the season in the third to increase the Colonials' lead.
 
Neither team would score in the next three half-innings although Capp did notch her second hit in as many at bats.
 
Stocks and Gabelt each singled to start the fifth inning, and both runners would eventually come home on a two-out single to left by Santillo.
 
Canisius got runners to second and third with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but Sleith struck out each of the next two batters swinging to maintain the shutout.
 
RMU went down in order in the sixth before Sleith worked around two runners in the home half, once again getting a strikeout to close the frame.
 
The Colonials tacked on their final two runs in the seventh. Stocks started things with a single, and an error put two runners on base. A wild pitch brought home the first run before Santillo lofted a single into left to close the scoring.
 
Sleith retired the side in order to complete the season-opening victory.
 
Stocks tallied her second-career three-hit outing against the Golden Griffins.
 
The second game of the day was cut from a different cloth as it was tight throughout.
 
Bowling Green had a strong chance early to take the lead as a single, an error and a steal put two runners in scoring position with one down. However, Badolato got a key strikeout and then a groundout to quiet the threat.
 
Senior Cassie Show (Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville) walked with one out in the home half. Stocks would follow with a single, but a flyout and a groundout kept RMU off the board.
 
Each of the next two innings went in order for both teams.
 
The Falcons got a one-out single in the fourth, but senior Chelsea Evans (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Riverside) gunned down the runner trying to steal.
 
A two-out single by Apke was all RMU could produce in the bottom half.
 
Bowling Green took the lead in the fifth with a double and consecutive groundouts.
 
Sophomores Lauren Hackett (Glenshaw, Pa. / Shaler Area) and Ashley Gerhart (Imperial, Pa.  / West Allegheny) each tallied singles in the bottom half of the inning to try and even the game immediately, but a groundout ended the chance.
 
The Falcons loaded the bases with one out in the sixth on a walk, a single and an error, but Badolato dug deep and got a strikeout and a groundout to keep the game within reach for the Colonials.
 
The next two half-innings went in order, which left RMU trailing entering its final at bat.
 
Capp started by lining a single into right. One out later, freshman Jordan Gurganus (Chesapeake, Va. / Hickory) put down a sacrifice to move her into scoring position. Santillo was called upon to pinch hit with two down, and she came through by knocking an opposite-field single down the right field line to score Capp on a close play. A groundout by RMU would follow, which necessitated extra innings.
 
With the international tiebreaker in effect, Bowling Green got one run in the top of the eighth with a two-out single, but Badolato was able to minimize the damage.
 
Show singled to start the bottom of the eighth, but a Colonial runner was then cut down on the bases leaving Show on third with one out. Stocks would ground out to the left side, but it was enough to bring home Show with the tying run. With the bases empty and two down, Gabelt drilled a ball into the right center gap for a triple. Apke followed with an opposite-field single to give RMU the walkoff victory.
 
Apke collected her 20th career multi-hit game in the nightcap against the Falcons.
 
The contests were the first games played indoors by RMU under head coach Craig Coleman's leadership.
 
Robert Morris will be right back in action Sunday morning as it faces Bucknell at 11:00 a.m. before closing out the event with the host Vikings at 5:00 p.m.